Hero Without The Spandex
by Lily Hanson
Summary: Gia learns it's not the spandex that makes her a hero.


_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Megaforce. This story is fan-made._

_Author's Note: This is not where the Megaforce series starts. If you want to read the series without getting lost, I suggest you read my stories in the order they appear:_

_**No To Date Nights - The Party Night - Project Partners - Megaforce: Lives Behind The Masks - **__**Prom Night**__ - __**A Trip To Remember - First Meetings - Something She Loves – Protective Morans – Samurai In Harwood County – Rainy Days – Luck Had Nothing To Do With It – Ranger Support – Parents and Children**_

* * *

It was her first outing with the broken arm. It was just a trip down to Ernie's to meet up with her friends, but it was a big deal for Gia, who for the last few days had been stuck in bed recovering from her Mountain Boarding accident. It was an accident that shouldn't have happened, and she had been lectured on that, and would suffer the consequences by wearing a hard cast for a couple of months, until her arm was healed.

Fortunately, though, her arm was starting to feel better. There was still a little pain, especially when she bumped it into something, but it wasn't enough to keep her down. Gia had started going crazy stuck in the motel room, so Emma had agreed to take her out. She called up the others, knowing they were desperate to see Gia.

"I can open a door," Gia frowned as Emma held the door open for her. Emma shrugged her shoulders and let go of the door as Gia was walking by, causing it to swing back and smack her in the butt. Gia jumped and whimpered and turned around to see Emma giggling.

"Ernie, you need to get this door fix," she called as she walked in. Gia walked straight to the booth her friends were sitting at and shrank down to hide. The entire way over, people had been staring at her.

"Look who is finally up and about," Jake said and reached his arm around to hug her. Gia let out a cry before he could and she pushed him away with her good hand.

"No touching. My whole arm is sore."

"Seriously?" Noah asked. "Still?"

"What do you mean, still?" Gia grumbled, "It's frigging broken! You should have seen how deep purple the bruise was when they were x-raying it!"

"That'll teach you not to go Mountain Boarding by yourself," Jordan chuckled. Gia rolled her eyes.

"Everyone says that."

"Because it's true," Emma brought over a smoothie for herself and one for Gia. "Thanks to Gia, I've spent four comfortable nights on the motel floor. I'm not the only one. The rat keeps me company."

"You mean that wasn't a dream?" Gia asked with a deep frown. "Mom really…?"

"Yep."

Ernie approached the booth. He had seen Gia's cast and wanted to ask if she was okay. He didn't have any customers right now and thought this was the best time.

"Gia! What happened?"

"Mountain Boarding accident," Gia sighed. "It won't happen again."

"I broke my arm once," Ernie said with a shake of his head, "I was miserable for weeks."

"Great," Emma sighed. "Nothing's worse than a miserable Gia."

"You're young. Bones heal faster when you're young," Ernie promised. "You need anything, you let me know."

"Thanks," Gia smiled as Ernie returned to work. She took a sip of her smoothie and from the corner of her eye she noticed someone walking over to the table. She let out a long sigh as she recognized Rebecca, the reason her arm was broken.

Rebecca sat down at the booth, taking the spot next to her brother. She had a few shopping bags in her hands, which meant she had been shopping through the mall. She looked over to Gia sadly, her eyes focused on the cast.

"Does it hurt?"

Gia didn't say anything. Instead, she got up from the booth and walked over to the bar. She knew it was her own fault her arm was broken, but she didn't like Rebecca for what she had done – for how she had been used.

Troy got up and followed her after assuring Rebecca he would handle this. He sat down on the stool next to Gia's and had Ernie make up two sundaes.

"I know it's a longshot," he said, "but I was hoping you and Rebecca could be friends."

"Troy, you're not going to get it…"

"She played you for a fool. She used you for something, just like Cliff did."

"Fine, you do get it," Gia rolled her eyes. "I'm still… sensitive about that."

"I don't blame you," Troy said. "What you've been through, that's not something you just get over. Rebecca just picked the wrong person to mess with. It's got nothing to do with you."

Ernie brought over the sundaes and Troy paid him. He pushed Gia's sundae closer to her.

"I was hoping you could talk to Rebecca."

"You're bribing me?"

"A little," Troy nodded his head. "Rebecca's had a tough time too. Her mother was murdered."

"Oh…" Gia looked sadly down at her ice-cream.

"Dad cheated on my mom with her mom. Her mom didn't know that. Dad's not really good at making marriages work, and the bad start kind of sealed the deal. Her mother stormed out in a rage and then it was just a case of wrong time and place."

"Still, that really sucks."

"Dad's not… the greatest person. I've been talking to Rebecca, trying to see where her head is at and stuff. She's had a really tough time since her mom was killed."

"If you're trying to get me to pity her…"

"Not at all," Troy shook his head. "I'm just telling you what you need to know. When her mom died, her dad buried her and moved on. Rebecca never got the chance to grieve. She knows her parents were fighting the night her mother was killed. She knows all about how dad was married to my mom when he met hers. She knows she was conceived while my parents were still married. She learned all that the night her mother was killed. So, she blamed dad."

"I would too," Gia took a bit of her ice-cream. "But that doesn't explain why she planted the drugs on me."

"She needed money for the baby. Even before they're born, kids are expensive. Her dad, when he found out, told her she had to keep it. Rebecca wanted to adopt. She promised me she never did drugs personally, and hasn't drunk for the pregnancy. She was just holding them. Her friends would pay her to hold their drugs for a couple of days. You know, when their parents got suspicious, if their school was doing a locker search. That kind of stuff."

"If she's holding drugs, why plant them on me?"

"She's a kid involved with drugs. She's not exactly a thinker," Troy answered Gia. "She was going across town, wasn't sure who she would run into, and so ditched the drugs to avoid trouble. She didn't think about how she would get them back."

"She spilt the alcohol in my bag," Gia said. "Mom's washed it twice, but there's a huge stain."

"I can buy you a new bag. Just… can you talk to her?"

"Why?"

"Her dad hit her," Troy said and the spoon fell out of Gia's hand. She turned to Troy.

"What?"

"Her dad hit her. She got into a fight with him, told him exactly what she thought of him and he struck her. She said it looked like he regretted it instantly. He's been trying to reach her, saying he's sorry…"

"Where is he?" Gia asked.

"Her dad? I don't… I don't know where he is. I don't know where he lives. Why?"

Gia got up from the stool and marched over to the table. She looked at Rebecca.

"You. Come with me."

"What did I do?" Rebecca asked. "I'm sorry, I…"

"Just… come with me," Gia relaxed a little. She assumed her tense and frustrated demeanour put Rebecca on high alert.

"Where?"

"I want to help."

"With?"

"Just come with me," Gia grabbed Rebecca by the arm and pulled her up. Together, they walked out of Ernie's.

"Should we be going with them?" Jake asked. Troy shook his head.

"Let them talk."

-Megaforce-

As they walked down the street, Rebecca wasn't sure what to say to Gia. She wasn't even sure why Gia wanted to go on a walk with her. But she followed, to afraid to say no.

"I'm… I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the drugs and booze. I know it wasn't right."

"Don't do it again," Gia said. She brought Rebecca to the park and took a seat on the bench. There, Gia turned her back to Rebecca.

"Lift my shirt."

"What?"

"I can't do it myself," she said and pointed to her broken arm, which rested in a sling to keep her from moving it around too much. "Just lift my shirt. You'll know what you're looking for when you see it."

Rebecca did as she was told and lifted Gia's shirt gently. It wasn't long before she saw a mess of scars on her back.

"What happened?"

"I was fifteen. I dated a guy who was no good. One night, I told him I was too tired for sex. He smashed a vase in anger and pushed me down. I got shards stuck in my back when I fell on the broken pieces. He took me to the ER after he had his way with me… on the vase."

"Ouch."

"He lied to my parents for me. It was the only time I had to go to the ER, so they believed whatever story he came up with. They thought he was a good kid."

"I guess he wasn't."

"Troy told me your dad hit you."

"It was only once," Rebecca said and touched her cheek with her hand. She could still feel the sting. "It's not like it was for no reason. I was yelling at him."

"Did you walk away?"

"Yeah. I went to Troy's place. His parents are being great. They're letting me stay."

"I'm proud of you," Gia said and turned to Rebecca with a smile. "If I had walked away from Cliff the first time… my life would be a lot easier. I definitely wouldn't have freaked out on you like I did the other day. I certainly wouldn't have been stupid enough to break my arm."

"I wonder if I did the right thing, though," Rebecca said. "He's never raised his hand before. I don't think he's ever hit mom…"

"You don't think?"

"He lost his temper a few times," Rebecca shrugged her shoulders. "Parents fight. I found mom crying from time to time after dad left for work. All parents argue."

"Mine do," Gia said. "But they've never hit me. I don't even think I was spanked as a kid. Are you thinking of going back to him?"

"He's my dad… I don't… I don't like him, but he's my dad. What else am I going to do?"

"The Burrows are amazing people," Gia said. "You can stay with them, I'm sure."

"But my dad…"

"You don't owe him anything. Cliff continued to hit me and abuse me because I let him. You're not going to do that with your dad."

"I'm not?"

"I can't tell you what to do but can I suggest something?"

"Yeah, sure?"

"Before you agree to see him again, tell him he's got to start anger management courses. Tell him, before you'll see him, he has to make an effort to keep his temper under control. If he's really sorry, and if he really wants to make things right, he'll do it. You'll know it was really just a mistake if he's already signed himself up."

"What if he doesn't? I said some really mean things to him. I probably shouldn't…"

"He's the parent. You're the child. I'm not saying that's permission to yell and scream at your dad all you want, but he's supposed to stay calm. He's the one at fault, and if something's going to change, it's got to start with him. If he doesn't want to, then he obviously doesn't care and he's going to do it again. It might not be today, or tomorrow, or even sometime this year, but I promise you, if he doesn't try to change, you're going to feel the sting of another slap. Maybe even worse. It's best you get out before it gets any worse. I wish I had. I wish I had been as brave as you."

"I'm really, really sorry for what I did," Rebecca sighed and looked at her hands. "But I promise you, I'm clean now. All the drugs I was holding are either gone, or back with the people they really belong to. And I'm done with holding them and with alcohol."

"Good."

"And… the Burrows are helping me find a good home for the baby," Rebecca said. "I'm too young, and obviously too stupid to have a kid of my own. He deserves a better family."

"His mom is smart where it really counts," Gia offered Rebecca another smile. "Don't push your dad away just yet. Mistakes happen. But protect yourself. Always protect yourself. I don't want to see what happened to me happen to anyone else. Especially with their father. I could escape Cliff. I don't think I'd ever be able to escape family."

Rebecca nodded her head and then looked over at Gia. She reached into her purse and pulled out a pen.

"Could I… write something on your cast?"

"If you're careful," Gia said. "You'd have to take the sling off first."

Rebecca did by gently unbuckling it and helping Gia by supporting her arm for her. She moved it just a little bit so she could write what she needed. When she was done, she helped Gia put her arm back in the sling.

"You got a yellow cast?"

"You've got a problem with yellow?"

Rebecca chuckled and shook her head, "Not at all. It's a cool colour."

"So, what'd you write?"

"Thank you," Rebecca said. "For giving me a second chance. For looking out for me. I'm going to call dad later and suggested the anger management thing. I'll even help him look for groups or whatever he needs."

"Do it over the phone. He can't slap you through a phone."

"I doubt he'll try again," Rebecca said. "I might even consider therapy too. Maybe, when he's finished anger management, we can get family counselling. I guess Troy told you about my mother."

"I'm sorry."

"Me too," Rebecca sighed, and then shook her head and smiled at Gia, "Thank you. You're a real hero."

"I am?"

"Maybe it was a good thing I put the drugs in your bag," Rebecca said and then spoke quickly when she saw the look on Gia's face sour, "Putting the drugs in your bag is the catalyst to all this. I'm done with drugs now, I've found my half-brother and people who'll take care of me until dad and I get our issues sorted, and now I've got something in the works to give my baby a good life once he's born. You kind of… saved me. Troy told me you were angry because you think I picked you because you thought you appeared weak. I think you got picked because you're actually really strong."

"I am?"

"The strongest person I know," Rebecca smiled and nodded her head. "How many other people could jump out of an abusive relationship and then turn around and stop another one before it gets bad. Especially for a girl who got her in a lot of trouble. You've introduced me to my new family, and saved my old one. Thank you, Gia. From the bottom of my heart, thank you."

"Uh… you're welcome," Gia said. She stood up, "We should head back now. The others are going to start worrying."

Rebecca nodded her head and joined Gia for the walk back to the Brainfreeze.

"So… what exactly caused your to break your arm. I mean, I know you were Mountain Boarding, but… did you wipe out?"

"I don't want to talk about it. It was stupid."

"C'mon, aren't we friends? Acquaintances?"

"I guess we're friends."

"So? Friends tell each other stuff, right?"

"Not this," Gia shook her head.

"I want to know. I broke my arm once by jumping on the bed. That's a lame story. Breaking your arm while Mountain Boarding sounds so awesome."

"It wasn't."

"Aren't we sharing?"

"No."

"But…"

"No."

"But…"

"Rebecca, shut up before I take everything back. I have moments of kindness and moments where I open myself up. The rest of the time, I'm a cold hearted bitch."

"I don't believe that."

"Don't make me show you."

"You're a good person."

They finally got back to Ernie's. She walked into the store with a loud groan.

"She's annoying! Get her away!"

She sat down at the booth between Jake and Emma and huffed when Rebecca sat across from her.

"Is everything okay?" Troy asked his sister.

"Gia's an amazing person," Rebecca smiled. Gia rolled her eyes.

"She won't stop with this crap!"

"You are a good person," Emma laughed.

"The whole world doesn't need to know that," Gia leaned back in her seat and frowned at Rebecca. "I'm never sharing anything with you again."


End file.
